A lot of owners want to know if there is a natural, non-chemical way to discourage fleas from making a meal of their dog. There are plenty of synthetic products on the market that can do the trick: insecticide dips, flea sprays, flea collars and shampoos, and systemic medications that travel through the bloodstream for up to a month, killing any flea who’s unfortunate enough to bite.

Not all of these are suitable for all dogs — some dogs show allergic reactions to particular products. And puppies shouldn’t be treated with most chemical flea products until they’re at least eight weeks old. Similarly, dogs in their geriatric years can have difficulty with aggressive flea treatments. At the same time, older dogs can be especially prone to the irritating dermatitis caused by a flea infestation.

Many people who object to using many chemicals in their personal lives would also like to find a more natural method of fighting off dog fleas.

One typical method is to include a teaspoon of brewer’s yeast in the dog food at every feeding. Many people feel that fleas dislike the scent of brewer’s yeast and will avoid a dog with plenty of it in his system. Regardless of its effect on fleas, brewer’s yeast is extremely rich in a variety of B vitamins, and including it in his meals is likely to do him good.

Another common natural method of treating for fleas is to feed your dog raw garlic cloves with his meal, or less commonly, a prepared capsule of garlic powder. Many owners swear by garlic when it comes to keeping their dogs flee-free. However, no studies have yet shown that feeding your dog garlic can effectively protect him. If your flea problem is still minor and you have the luxury to experiment, you may want to give this a try.

There’s one all-natural method that’s sure to give your dog instant, if temporary, relief, and that is water! Stick your dog in the bath, and scrub him down with soap and warm water. For full effectiveness, you’ll want to keep him in the water for about 15 minutes. Make sure as much of him as possible is fully submerged.

Also try to make sure your dog has something to keep him busy (probably, you) or it will be hard for him to stay put. The “staying put” part is hard, but it’s deeply satisfying to see all those black fleas wash off into the water.

Now that he’s clean and flea-free, wash any parts of your dog that you couldn’t submerge using a cooled tincture of rosemary — 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary that you’ve previously boiled in water. Not only is this an effective anti-flea treatment over the short-term, it gives your dog a very pleasant smell.